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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · tear · fork · pass · pit · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. press — a publisher
  4. tear — to rip
  5. scale — size or range
  6. tear — from crying
  7. scale — in music
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pit — a hole
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. press — to push
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pit — in a race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com